"Amalia knows far more than I," Jigano said, smiling at the thought of his heartsister, bold and pious. "But I have learned a little, both on my own and at her side." He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in the scent of the tea to center himself as he organized his thoughts. "There are three Old Gods. Vi, god of life and creation. Mort, god of death and the afterlife. And Rae, god of nature and change. It was Rae who either gave the Abandoned their magic, or at least nurtured it when it manifested on its own. I'm not entirely clear on that part." He tilted his head to the side, smiling at Isuma's antics as she bumped her head against Seiji's arm to comfort him as his brow furrowed in thought. "Each of them also created a... I call them 'herald' gods, but perhaps they could as easily be called minor deities. They are gods in their own right, but they serve the will of their creators. Safrin, who is Vi's daughter. Ludo, who collects souls for Mort. And Frey who... well. Encourages, ah, life and reproduction in all its pleasures at Rae's direction." He gave Seiji a lopsided smile before continuing.
"What we've discovered through old records is that, somewhere along the way, the mages - who were initially called 'Acquired' - grew powerful enough to challenge the old gods. They augmented themselves somehow, using their magic to do so... and then they began augmenting non-mages as well, to serve as soldiers in an army that they raised to bring themselves to power. I don't know much of these younger gods, or how many survive... but for certain, we know that the Voice is one such. She acquired such power that she became a godling in her own right. And the Old Gods... well. They apparently couldn't destroy her, so instead they trapped her... within the Spire, within the Barrier that was raised to isolate her from the rest of the world." He sighed, sipping his tea with a faint grimace - not for the taste, but for the bitter knowledge they had gained.
"Rory wonders if those originally trapped within the Barrier were mages - Abandoned, who had supported the new gods in their bid for power. That, we don't know for sure. What we do know is that the Old Gods sent their heralds into the barrier to be trapped with the Voice and the descendants of those original prisoners, to offer what comfort they could and to help keep her in check. At some point, the Voice was... I don't know. Sent to sleep, somehow, or went into hibernation, and her powers over those within the barrier waned, as did the records and memories of the following generations. But she wasn't entirely powerless... when the Spire was breached and the Voice was freed, she claimed to be the one who has brought Outlanders to Caido over the years. As a means to free her, to break her cage as the Naturals didn't have the power or desperation to do. And... it worked." He shrugged, smile turning a little sad. "And we will all learn, eventually, what price our freedom will cost."
Seiji's empathy was appreciated, the lorekeeper's smile lightening back towards true happiness as he nodded. "He is. As is Ronin. A miracle whose tale I don't fully know the details of, but Safrin brought him back and gave him a second chance at life, for which many are grateful." Including the Provost, though he had not really begun to speak to the new demigod until after his unexpected return to the living. It was nice to have a friend to trade puns with, though. "And that would bring us around to the Forest... unless you have any questions on what I've told you so far?"
"What we've discovered through old records is that, somewhere along the way, the mages - who were initially called 'Acquired' - grew powerful enough to challenge the old gods. They augmented themselves somehow, using their magic to do so... and then they began augmenting non-mages as well, to serve as soldiers in an army that they raised to bring themselves to power. I don't know much of these younger gods, or how many survive... but for certain, we know that the Voice is one such. She acquired such power that she became a godling in her own right. And the Old Gods... well. They apparently couldn't destroy her, so instead they trapped her... within the Spire, within the Barrier that was raised to isolate her from the rest of the world." He sighed, sipping his tea with a faint grimace - not for the taste, but for the bitter knowledge they had gained.
"Rory wonders if those originally trapped within the Barrier were mages - Abandoned, who had supported the new gods in their bid for power. That, we don't know for sure. What we do know is that the Old Gods sent their heralds into the barrier to be trapped with the Voice and the descendants of those original prisoners, to offer what comfort they could and to help keep her in check. At some point, the Voice was... I don't know. Sent to sleep, somehow, or went into hibernation, and her powers over those within the barrier waned, as did the records and memories of the following generations. But she wasn't entirely powerless... when the Spire was breached and the Voice was freed, she claimed to be the one who has brought Outlanders to Caido over the years. As a means to free her, to break her cage as the Naturals didn't have the power or desperation to do. And... it worked." He shrugged, smile turning a little sad. "And we will all learn, eventually, what price our freedom will cost."
Seiji's empathy was appreciated, the lorekeeper's smile lightening back towards true happiness as he nodded. "He is. As is Ronin. A miracle whose tale I don't fully know the details of, but Safrin brought him back and gave him a second chance at life, for which many are grateful." Including the Provost, though he had not really begun to speak to the new demigod until after his unexpected return to the living. It was nice to have a friend to trade puns with, though. "And that would bring us around to the Forest... unless you have any questions on what I've told you so far?"
